Ax.



L. L. LANG.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 191 I914.

Patented July 13, 1915,

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COLUMB'A PLANOORAPH 60-. WASHINGTON D C ore. I

LOUIS L. LANG, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Application filed October 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS L. LANG, a citizen of the United States of America, residing" at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to axes and more particularly to that type used by hunters and other sportsmen, especially when in camp.

The primary object of my invention 18 to provide a novel take down ax or hatchet wherein the inner end of the handle of the ax has provision for housing or shielding the blade of the ax with the hammer end of the ax head protruding from the handle to afford ready means whereby the .collapsed ax can be suspended from a belt or shoulder strap and conveniently carried.

Another object of my invention is to provide positive and reliable means, in .a manner hereinafter set forth, for detachably connecting an ax head to the outer end of a handle whereby the ax head will be rigidly held similar to an ordinary ax, thereby precluding any danger of the ax head accidentally collapsing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive take down ax which has the inner end of the handle thereof provided with novel means for holding an ax head in engagement therewith, and with an ax head mounted in the inner end of a handle, an implement is formed that can be used for various puroses. p With the above and other objects the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ax ready for use; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ax collapsed or knocked down and suspended from a belt; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the inner end of an ax handle showing the blade of an ax head housed or shielded thereby; Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating a modified form of fastening means for the ax head; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a detached ax head constructed in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul 13, 1915.

1914. Serial No. 867,353. 1

accordance with the modification shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is .a side elevation of the inner end of an ax handle construction in accordance with the modification shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the inner end :of an ax handle illustrating a further modification of my invention.

Reference will first be had to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, wherein the reference numeral. 1 denotes an ax handle which has the outer end thereof reduced or shaped to accommodate an ax head 2, said ax head having an opening .3 in which the outer end of the handle snugly fits. The outer end of the handle 1 has a longitudinal bolt opening 4 and the inner end of this opening is in communication with a transverse opening 5 in the handle 1 adjacent the reduced end thereof. Mounted in the opening 5, at the end of the bolt opening 4, is a nut -6 to receive the threaded end of a screw bolt 7 The head of the screw bol 7' retains a cap 8 upon the outer end of the handle 1, said cap having a portion thereof extending into a recess 9 provided therefor in the ax head 2. The cap 8 and the screw bolt 4 prevents the ax head 2 from becoming accidentally displaced and the shape .of the reduced end of the handle 1 prevents the ax head from rotating upon the handle. The ax head is therefore rigidly held and the implement can be used similar to an ordinary aX or hatchet.

The inner end of the ax handle 1 is bifurcated or forked to form side arms 10 and 11, said side arms providing a pocket or recess 12 serving functionally as a housing or sheath for the blade end 13 of the ax head 2. With the blade end 13 of the ax head 2 housed by the inner end of the handle 1, the hammer end 14 of the ax head protrudes from the inner end of the handle and provides an implement that can be used for various purposes. For instance, a good substantial club is often a desideratum about a camp.

With the hammer end 14 of the ax head protruding from the inner end of the handle 1, the opening 3 of the aX head affords ready means whereby the collapsed ax can be suspended from a belt 15 or wearing apparel, and when the ax head is mounted in the inner end of the handle 1, the cap 8 is retained in engagement with the outer end of the handle by the screw bolt 7, thereby preventing dirt and other foreign matter from clogging the bolt opening 4 or the cap and screw bolt from becoming accidentally displaced.

I Various means can be resorted to for bold ing the ax head 2 in engagement with the inner end of the handle 1, the preferred means comprising a screw bolt 16 which extends through the arms 10 and 11 and an opening 17 provided therefor in the aX head 2. The screw bolts 16 pass into a nut 18 countersunk in the arms 10, and for adjusting either of the screw bolts 7 or 16, a small screwdriver or rotating device, such as can be conveniently carried on a key ring, can be employed.

To avoid carrying a screwdriver or similar device, I have devised means, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7 inclusive, for holding the ax head 2 in engagement with the inner end of the handle 1, which as shown in Figs. a to 6 inclusive, comprises resilient members 19 carried by a ferrule or band 20 mounted upon the inner end of the handle 1. The resilient members 19 extend into the recess or pocket 12 and are adapted to engage in seats 21 provided therefor in the sides of the ax head. The inner ends of the member 19 are adapted to receive into recesses 22 in the confronting faces of the arms 10 and 11 when the ax head 2 is shifted into and out of engagement with the inner end of the handle 1.

As shown in Fig. 7, a band 23 surrounds the extreme inner end of the handle 1 and a screw bolt 24, of greater length than the screw bolt 16, is employed and provided with a winged thumb nut 25, and it is in this connection that the screw bolt 7 can be provided with a winged head to facilitate manual manipulation.

The ferrule 20 and band 23 reinforce the bifurcated inner end of the handle and prevent the same from accidentally splitting, particularly when the knock down ax is used as an implement.

While in the drawings there are illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such changes, as in the size, shape, and manner of assemblage as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An ax comprising a handle having the inner end thereof bifurcated, and an ax head having an eye and detachably mounted upon the outer end of said handle and adapted to be detachably mounted in the bifurcated inner end of said handle with the hammer end of said head protruding from said handle whereby said aX can be suspended from a belt by said eye.

2. A take down ax comprising a handle, an aX head detachably mounted upon the outer end thereof and having an eye, and means at the inner end of said handle adapted to receive and hold the bladed end of said ax head with the eye thereof outside of said handle whereby said ax can be suspended from a belt by said eye.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS L. LANG. Witnesses ANNA M. Donn, CHAS. W. STAUFFIGER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

